The Cold of Autumn
by Rikako
Summary: In the chill air of Hogwarts, comfort is found in the strangest of places. Slash DM/HP. Still work in progress. . .
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: No I do not own the characters, as everyone here should know. Plot is my own though ^..^. Do not know when it takes place, since I'm just going with it. Lol, anyways, yeah, it's HPxDM. **

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The Cold of Autumn.

Wind blew in through the cracks of the windows, filling the corridors with a comforting chill. Soft breathing, occasional murmurs between portraits, it was, familiar. The only thing that Harry knew as he creeped under his cloak, the gentle clack of his shoes the sole echo in the emptiness of Hogwarts.

Everyone slept soundly tonight, oblivious of the dangers that awaited them outside. The dangers that he himself faced.

Secrecy. It was a way of life really, and the one thing Harry was learning to master. Sneaking out, finding comfort in the least expected place, it was all new, and he hoped it would stay hidden. Students wouldn't understand, and neither would the teachers. He could almost bet that Dumbledore would be the same.

Climbing to the tallest tower seemed like an easy feat tonight, as it had been for months now.

Harry's breath became short, ragged. Nerves threatened to burst his heart. How long?

How long could this be kept up?

His heart ached suddenly, his mind reeled. Slumping against the wall, he felt his body begin to fall to the floor. He pulled his legs against him, burying his face in between his knees. It wasn't fair.

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The door creacked as he closed it behind him. The cool autumn breeze blew his hair in two different directions as he shook the cloak unto the balcony floor. He shivered slightly, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose unintentionally.

_He's not here yet. . ._

The prospect of leaving flooded his mind, leaving hims uneasy.

Sure, it had been easy for him to do this before. Before all the emotions kicked in, and before he had allowed his control to drop.

Before he had kissed the only person in the whole school that really knew him.

Harry traced his lips reflectively, unaware of his own actions. The feel of them against his own, the pounding against his chest from both their hearts. The way those icy blue eyes had stared at him, unknowing of what to do, what to say. The confusion in them as he covered his mouth with his knuckles.

Draco had been there for him. Every Saturday night had brought about a new meeting between them; one which would leave them both at ease. They had opened themselves to each other, and Harry had taken it to the next extent. He doubted if Draco would even show up this time around.

He missed the little notes he would find under his desk before class began, or even in the bottom of his cauldron. He missed the amusing smirk Draco would pass to him across the Great Hall.

He missed the comfort of knowing that Draco wouldn't leave him.

He leaned his crossed arms on the balcony railing, letting his body loosen up.

He felt stupid, imcompetent. He was the perfect example of the failure of a person that Snape always claimed him to be, and he could feel the sting of a tear roll down his cheek.

Having let his emotions take hold had been too much, and letting himself kiss Draco had been the icing on the cake of a horrible life. His horrible life.

Draco had ran. Ran, and never once had looked back, and it seemed that that had been what had hurt the most. Thinking that he would've understood had been Harry's mistake, and now he was paying for it dearly.

He ran a hand through his hair, deciding on going back. It hurt too much to be up there, knowing that he won't show.

Sighing, Harry turned, only to freeze at the sight of a figure by the doorway. He hadn't heard the creak, and how he wished he had.

Draco's silvery blond hair blew out of place in the night breeze, his eyes downcast as a light pink brushed his cheeks, his lips light rose and in the middle of a smile and frown. His eyes lifted and met Harry's, an unsure smile growing on the sides of his mouth. "Hey." he whispered over the whistle of the air.

"Hey. . ."


	2. Chapter 2

¨Sh-¨Harry turned around at the sound of the door opening and found himself facing the last person he wanted to see at the moment. He thought about leaving, but that would only fuel the other´s pride and that was something he wasn´t ready to do, and he opted to stay. Draco simply sighed, surprising the Gryffindor and walked towards the balcony. ¨I´m not in the mood, so, I´ll make as if you´re not here.¨he stated simply. Harry´s mouth dropped and as Draco leaned against the railing, he found himself just a little less lonely. _ Just by a centimeter..._He added silently. A few minutes drew themselves out as they stared at the clear night sky. It seemed natural, as if they were just two friends enjoying each other´s company. Of course, before leaving, Draco calmly said, ¨Don´t tell anyone¨.

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For some reason, Draco was now all that Harry could think of. To know the reason why he would be alone up in that sole balcony, or why he had decided to be very un-Dracoish. Another week passed, and as always, Harry waited until everything settled down before bidding Ron a ¨See you later.¨ and sneaking out to his favorite spot inside the castle. It wasn´t that he didn´t like being in the dormitory or the common room, and Ron knew it wasn´t because he was upset with him or Hermoine either. It was just that for some reason he felt as if something was missing.

Reason told him it was simply the whole orphaned by Voldemort, who was now his sworn archenemy that tried to kill him every chance he gets, thing again. That for some reason he had been chosen to be the hero in the fight against evil, and he had so many lives resting on his shoulders. And of course, there was school, homework, tests, the problem of not having a girlfriend yet which was weird since he was Harry Potter, and blah blah blah. So it was normal. Normal to feel such a suffocating numbness that made him want to scream and tear the skin from his flesh, and want to run around spilling blood everywhere so that maybe then someone would notice that not everything was fine with the boy-who-lived. So he walked, as silently as he could, to that sole balcony that made everything disappear and put the world into such a calm silence that he could finally hear what his head was telling him. As he climbed the last steps, he ran his fingers against the cold wall, his signature arrival gesture, feeling the texture of it against the invisibility cloak. But as soon as he opened the door, he felt his heart jump all the way up to the silvery moon in the sky and back. Draco simply turned his gaze away from the sky and towards him, sighing again like he was beginning to do often. ¨Look Potter,¨he said with a slight tone of annoyance, ¨I´m not in the mood so please don´t provoke me.¨Harry felt his cheek burn up as Draco walked towards him. ¨Excuse. Me.¨Harry stepped aside, but before Draco turned the corner, he felt something inside his chest stir. ¨Wait!¨Draco paused but didn´t turn. He just waited. ¨Th...There´s plenty of room...and I wouldn´t mind some company...¨

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It didn´t feel as ackward as it looked. Yeah, Harry´s mind was scolding him for it. Draco was the enemy, not just in Hogwarts but outside of it too. It was preposterous to make such a request and even more bizzare for Draco to silently accept. They stood there silently, thinking about the ridiculous situation they had made for themselves. And if one of the professors were to find them? If, which was out of the question as they were too far, some student were to see them there and the whole school were to make some absurd gossip about the two of them? So called enemy´s had a thing. ¨Just for the record, I´m not harassing you. I come here all the time.¨Draco threw him a glare. ¨First time I´ve seen you then.¨Harry furrowed his eyebrows, as that was impossible, he did always come here. When everything just seemed to weigh down on him some more, this was a place to breathe. Then it hit him. ¨Yea, I lied, I come here Saturdays only.¨There was silence for a long stretch of minutes and Harry thought that perhaps the other hadn´t heard him. Something inside him wanted to say it again, to have an opening to ask more about the Malfoy that was becoming very strange with every encounter. He had everything, why would he need to escape it, if only for a moment. But Draco remained silent and Harry could feel his gut fill with anxiety, but acted cool, like he was supposed to be, no need to let his enemy know he was agonizing over a simple statement, that was crazy.

¨I used to come here Fridays, but had to change my schedule...¨Draco paused and turned his icy gaze to meet Harry´s expectant one. His lips pursed and Harry almost swore that Draco´s cheeks turned a light pink. ¨Of course, I´ll have to change it again.

¨Don´t,¨Harry almost punched himself, why not just kiss the guy instead of saying such droll statements. But he felt that something stir again as Draco raised his thin eyebrows in mild surprise. ¨I like the company of someone that isn´t trying to kiss my ass all the time.¨Harry saw Draco push back a smirk and turn his gaze back to the sky. Clouds were beginning to threaten the warm September night, the small glimmer of a few reluctant stars fighting to shine through the imminent darkness that was gaining up on them. ¨I can´t imagine how unpleasant that must taste.¨Harry´s laughed echoed in that silence that had been their solace for so long, each in their given time. As the laugh continued, Harry didn´t notice as Draco´s stoic expression led way to a loop-sided smirk.

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There was no need to bid each other farewell, or to make a single gesture. When Draco turned to leave, it had passed more than half and hour since the remark that had sent Harry into a breathless laugh that had made his gut sting with every ragged breath. Harry followed suit, now fearing the loneliness that would return when Draco had disappeared from view. They walked down the long staircase together and walked through silent corridors before they made it to the Grand Staircase. Harry turned then, leaving Draco as he went down the stairs. As the Slytherin´s steps grew further away, Harry glanced over the railing and found a soothing comfort in the last view of Draco´s silvery blond hair as he turned another corner.

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**A.N: ...(hides from angry readers) I know it has been like almost two years since I wrote the first chapter, and I´m sorry it took so long and that the writing style is no longer the same. I´m trying to get back in the writing swing and this was the first one that came to my head to write so I hope you like it even if it sucks xD I don´t know when the third part will come to me so please bear with me :D Thank you for reading =)**


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